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Illegal Drugs

Illegal drugs are those that are not prescribed by a doctor or
bought at a drugstore. They are sometimes also called "street drugs."

Some examples of illegal drugs include heroin (a narcotic); cocaine
(a stimulant); LSD, mescaline, PCP, methamphetamine, and psilocybin
(hallucinogens); marijuana and hashish (cannabis); and gamma-hydroxybutyrate
(GHB). Although GHB is legal in Europe for anesthetic uses and in the United
States for government-approved clinical trials for treating narcolepsy, it has
been otherwise illegal in the United States since 1990.

The effects of illegal drugs can be unpredictable because:

Most drugs are very
addictive.

People respond differently to the same
drugs.

The strength or potency of the drug may be
uncertain.

They may contain unknown or unexpected substances. There
is no quality control for street drugs like that required for prescription
drugs.

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